Long-term Hydrocodone use is recommended to eliminate pain symptoms. This analgesic should not be used periodically or as needed to get rid of mild pain.

Hydrocodone prescription to people with chronic pain is aimed not only at providing the necessary analgesic effect. The use of opioid should help improve the patient’s quality of life and his physical abilities.

Hydrocodone can be usedboth as the first opioid analgesic and in patients, who already have experience with opiates. To eliminate pain symptoms, patients can take Hydrocodone tablets or extended-release (ER)capsules.

The dose of this pain medication should be chosen individually for each patient.

Individual selection of Hydrocodone dose is important, because:

inopioid receptorsactivation, other effects are possible besides the analgesic. These are often undesirable, like respiratory depression, violation of gastric motor activity and the like;

each patient has an individual susceptibility to Hydrocodone action;

long-term use of the same analgesic doses increases the risk of drug dependence.

Compliance with the rules of clinical Hydrocodone application is a prerequisite for a safe and effective pain relief.

If Hydrocodone is the first opioid analgesic for the patient, the initial dose depends on the choice of pharmaceutical form:

ER capsules – 10 mg every 12 hours;

ER tablets – 20 mg once daily.

If a patient already had experience ofopiates use and the body can tolerate the action of analgesics, Hydrocodone dose may be 20 mg to 80 mg per day. The daily dose of the opioid analgesic may be titrated every 3-7 days, depending on the severity of pain symptoms.

Hydrocodone can be useduntil total pain elimination. If you no longer need to take this analgesic,you should gradually reduce the daily dose of Hydrocodonewithin 10 days. If you abruptly stop taking the painkiller, you may promote withdrawal symptoms, like nausea, cough, high blood pressure, etc.

Advantages of using Hydrocodone for pain elimination:

strong and long-lasting analgesic effect;

possibility of application in various fields of medicine;

safe use in combined therapy with non-narcotic analgesics.

Hydrocodone can be used not only for pain relief. In combination with anticholinergic agent Homatropine, this opiate will reduce the severity of pain symptoms, and eliminate cough.

Hydrocodone is the most often prescribed opioid analgesic in many countries around the world.

This medication is one of the main tools for eliminating pain symptoms of medium and high intensity.